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Re: Penguins sign Arron Asham to a 1 year contract

With Asham in the mix, I think I'd like to see the following line pairing to start the season.

First line: Kunitz-Crosby-Malkin

There has been talk about breaking up Staal's line and putting Jordan on either Sid or Geno's wing, but I think I'd rather keep Staal's line intact and allow two of the best players in the world get used to playing with one another on more than just the power play. The uber-skilled Sid and Geno can work their magic together while the gritty Kunitz parks himself in front of the net to screen the goalie and deflect a few shots into the net while he's at it.

Second line: Cooke-Staal-Kennedy

This has been unquestionably the best third line in the hockey for the last several seasons. It would also be an above-average second line. These guys have a good chemistry with each other, offering exceptional energy and cycling ability in the corners. It is time to trust Staal to up his game to be a true second line center.

Third line: Dupuis-Talbot-Tangradi

These guys provide boundless energy on the ice. Eventually, Tangradi should be a first or second line winger for Sid, Geno, or Jordan. But in his first year in the NHL, the third line seems to be the right spot for him. He offers size and scoring ability, and should mesh well with the likeable Max and Pascal right off the bat.

Fourth line: Asham-Adams-Rupp

Excellent gritty fourth line. Opponents will expect to receive more than their fair share of bruises when playing against this line. When we are playing games against Asham's former club, for instance, we could even dress Godard as a pure enforcer (likely sitting down the kid Tangradi and moving Rupp up to the third line with Dupuis and Talbot).

Defensive Pairings:

First pair: Martin-Michalek

If you are paying these two guys a combined $9.5 million per year, they are your top defensive pairing. We missed a potential shut-down defensive pairing when we are trying to hold late leads ever since Scuderi and Gill left town. Now we've got that again.

Second pair: Orpik-Letang

Good balance of a hard-hitting physical defenseman with a offensive-minded puck-moving defenseman (who has also been working on improving his defensive responsibilities of late as well). They are familiar with one another and work well together.

Third pair: Goligoski-Lovejoy

Putting your two blueliners with the least amount of experience together is not necessarily the ideal scenario, but these are both guys with solid heads on their shoulders who are prone to having solid plus/minus numbers whereever they have played (which can't possibly be accidental). While neither guy is the most physically imposing fellow on the ice, they are above average puck-movers who should improve their overall games with more experience on the NHL level.